


Even After Everything

by jadencross



Series: He Sleeps, She Sings, They Listen [6]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, post episode 11
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-16 21:54:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9291170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadencross/pseuds/jadencross
Summary: Coran has always been a busy man. He spends hours upon hours working on the Castle of Lions and training the paladins.But maybe, he needs to take a break, and look after his princess.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is a prequel to my other fic, He Sleeps in the Sky of Ice. You don't have to have read it, as it's a prequel. This one works fine as a stand-alone work.
> 
> For some quick backstory for new readers, this takes place about a month or two after the end of season 1. All the paladins have been scattered throughout the universe. Allura did a one-time magic show to get them all connected enough to form a plan wherein the Blue Lion and castle come find Red, while Black finds Green, then they both got find Yellow. Yellow then follows Blue's train to the castle. [basically each lion can only find one other one from all the way across the galaxy for security.] This happens after Allura and Coran pick Keith up, but before anyone else is even heard from. If you want to read the rest of this series, there should be a link at the bottom! 
> 
> So this ones all about our favorite space princess. (Once again no beta lol)
> 
> Enjoy!

 Coran had always liked the way the star map glittered at night.

The sparkling blues and the intricate design of stars as they swirl past in the empty quiet of the control room has always had a calming effect on him, but in the past few months, the comfort had been more necessary and reliable. Coran watched the stars swirl, letting his thoughts do much the same in his head. 

He spun the map without really thinking about it, his hands moving in deft movements as the whole known universe spun around him. Coran was thinking about the castle, about the war against the Galra Empire, about all the repairs he still had to do to the Red Lion, about how Keith was practically wasting away in the training room, about how he and Allura had been so busy these past few weeks that they had hardly had time to talk. As it was, right now she was in the Red Lion’s hangar, scouring the database to figure out how to heal Red most effectively.

Coran stopped, staring blankly. 

Allura had really grown these past few months. She had become more decisive, become better at leading her paladins, been courageous even when she had to destroy King Alfor’s AI, and had given herself so that Shiro would be safe from Zarkon’s prison and keep fighting. 

But through all of that, she had remained kind. Coran had never been so proud of her. She was no longer that young girl that would ride on her father’s shoulders and cry because she ruined her favorite dress.

Coran smiled. He looked ahead and was surprised to see Earth spinning before him. Coran watched the paladins’ galaxy swirl before him, recalling his talk with Lance that night on Arus. He remembered the way that Lance talked about his home, and how much he missed it. 

And he remembered how much talking about it had helped alleviate some of the pain.

Coran set his jaw, switching off the star map with a flick of his wrist. He turned on his heel, setting off towards Red’s hangar with determination in his step. When he arrived, he entered, the door sliding closed behind him. 

Across the room, between the paws of the Red Lion, was Allura. She was hunched over, focusing on the holo-readout. She had apparently abandoned standing and was sitting with her legs crossed, one arm resting on her leg. She was so absorbed in what she was reading she didn’t notice Coran until he sat next to her.

“Oh, Coran,” she said, turning to him. “Is something wrong?”

“No, not really,” Coran replied. 

Allura watched him, clearly waiting for an explanation. Coran just looked up at Red, her great chin above them blocking their view of the roof of the hangar. 

“Do you ever miss home, Allura?” Coran asked after a while.

Allura looked up again, having gone back to reading when Coran didn’t elaborate.

“Often. Why?”

“It’s just,” Coran looked to her, “you never really talk to me about it, is all.”

Allura stopped, watching him for a moment. “I didn’t want to...to trouble you. I know you miss home, too.” She turned back to the holoscreen, but Coran could tell she wasn’t reading it.

“It would be no trouble at all,” Coran replied easily. “In fact, it would be easier if you talked with me about it.”

Allura looked up, surprised. “Easier?”

“Of course.” Coran gave a small smile. “That night before Sendak attacked the castle, Lance and I talked together about our homes. I’m sure you used to talk about home all the time with your father, but you don’t have that anymore. I loved talking with Lance, but he didn’t really understand what I was talking about. That’s why I think it would be best for both of us to talk together. You know, to work through it.”

Allura was quiet for a while, watching the screen before looking up at Coran. 

“You’re right,” she said slowly. “We’re the last two Alteans alive. We should confide in each other.” 

They watched each other for a moment, clearly both trying to figure out what to say. Coran  _ did  _ kinda bring it up out of the blue. 

“So…” he started.

“I’m scared, Coran,” Allura said, her words rushed. Coran’s eyes snapped to hers in surprise. She swallowed, all the emotions she let pill over slowly being reigned back in. 

“I’m scared about what’s going to happen to us,” she said, slower this time. 

“What do you mean?” Coran asked. 

Allura paused again. She pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them tightly. 

“When we win the war, the paladins all still have their home to return to,” she said. “A lot of the aliens that we’ve met have at least their planet to return to. But we have nothing. Our whole system has been destroyed. We would have nowhere to go.”

Allura looked up, admiring Red’s impressive stature. “I’m afraid that it will be you and I alone among the stars, never having anywhere to rest. The way the rest of the paladins talk, I’m sure they’ll return home as soon as they can. They’ll leave us and we’ll be alone again. And I don’t want to be alone, Coran.”

A few ticks passed, Coran studying Allura’s still form. 

“I don’t think they’ll leave us,” he said finally. Allura’s lavender gaze turned to him, surprise on her face. “They all want to go home, sure, but what’s stopping them from hanging out with us? Or for us to go live on Earth with them? When the war ends, we’ll have all the time in the world to worry about this kind of stuff. And we’ll find a solution that’ll make us all happy.

“Right now, lightyears upon lightyears from us, the paladins are fighting to come back. During this time they could go home, but they don’t. I don’t think they’re just here because they want to save the universe, though that’s probably a big part of it. I think they like us. I think that we’re a part of their family. I don’t think they’ll just leave us behind.”

Allura watched him for a second, and Coran gave her an encouraging smile. Allura returned it, slowly turning back to face the lion.

“Thank you,” she said.

A soft silence passed over them again.

“There’s something else that’s bothering me,” Allura said softly after a while. 

Coran glanced over. “What's that?”

Allura’s grip on her legs strengthened, hands shaking slightly.

“When the Galra crystal corrupted my father’s AI, how much of him do you think was talking in the control room?”

Coran watched her, seeing the tears she fought back. 

“I’m not sure, but probably not much.” Coran leaned forward slightly, trying to see her face a little clearer. 

“Do you…” Allura swallowed. “Do you think he meant what he said?”

“What do you mean?”

Allura turned to him, tears threatening to flow over at any moment. Coran felt his heart constrict. 

“When he said it would be better to just give up than keep fighting Zarkon.”

Coran felt like he had been hit.  _ Of course _ she was still hung up on that. Who wouldn’t be? King Alfor was the person Allura looked up to most, and yet she had been tricked by his likeness and told that her fight was pointless, that the thing that she devoted her whole life since waking up she was unable to ever complete and that that it was better to crash into a star and die than continue fighting. Even if she had discovered it was just the crystal, his words must have cut so deep.

Coran reached out. I put his hand on her shoulder, pulling her towards him. She shifted to her knees, letting him pull her into a hug. She rested her chin on his shoulder, and Coran could feel her shaking. He could hear her muffled sobs, and he rubbed her back in calming strokes.

Why hadn’t Coran thought of this sooner? He couldn’t believe he had never asked her. She already had the pressure of leading a team before she was even fully an adult. He couldn’t stand her having to bare anymore than was necessary.

“I don’t think any of that was your father,” Coran said softly when her sobs had mostly subsided. “I think that was just the Galra infection trying to take out any enemies to the empire. Your father intervened shortly after. He always knew you were capable of incredible things. He would never say that. He knew that you would be an even greater leader than he was.”

Allura pulled back, looking at him with tears in her eyes. “You really think so?”

Coran nodded. “I know so. He’s told me as much.”

Allura smiled, open and bright in a way Coran hadn’t seen in awhile. He smiled back as she laughed wetly, wiping the tears from her eyes. 

“Thank you, Coran,” she said, voice soft. “Really.”

“I’m always happy to help,” he replied, smiling. 

Allura sniffed, scrubbing at her eyes before turning to face him fully, crossing her legs and setting herself. All signs of being a sad and scared girl had completely vanished, and he was facing the Princess of Altea once again.

“Okay, Coran,” she said, watching him with determination in her eyes. Coran felt his smile widen slightly under his moustache.

“Now it’s your turn.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Like the first time I watched crystal venom, I remember thinking how fucked up it was that King Alfor was the one saying those things to her. Like, if I was her that would screw me up pretty bad. And I know she knows he didnt say it but it still leaves doubts, you know? 
> 
> So yeah, one more one shot, and then the final chapter and this is done! I should probably start writing the last chapter, huh? 
> 
> Well, anyway, I hope you liked it! As always, comments and kudos are my fuel because I live for validation. 
> 
> See you next time!


End file.
